SUGAR GROVE — On a crisp, rainy fall Friday evening at Berne Union High School, Rockets’ senior Ashton O’Rourke made a tremendous final impression in his final game in front of the home fans.
O’Rourke, who began the season primarily at receiver, started at quarterback for the third straight game in place of the injured Carson Kiger, and continued to show the type of athlete he is. The senior completed three of his four pass attempts, ran for 148 yards and a pair of touchdowns and got in the box score on defense with an interception. His performance helped lead the Rockets to a 32-0 victory over Fairfield Christian, as the Rockets remain unbeaten in Mid-State League play.
“He’s really added another dimension,” Berne Union coach Tony Hurps said of O’Rourke. “Early on, we didn’t show it a lot; it was just get James (Hocking) the ball, and now you’ve got a two-headed monster, and now you can throw (Carson) Kiger in there as well, and we could have another package if we sneak into the playoffs. But he’s just a special kid, has special character and is a great leader. The entire senior class leads by example.”
More: Lancaster football misses chances in loss to Canal Winchester
Berne Union (6-3 overall, 5-0 MSL-Cardinal) found its way to the end zone quickly to start the game. On its second play of the game, James Hocking took a handoff, made some moves, and ran 43 yards into Fairfield Christian (3-6, 2-3) territory. And on the next play, O’Rourke used his speed to run a quarterback keeper 22 yards to the end zone for a 6-0 Rocket lead just two minutes into the game.
Two possessions later, O’Rourke ran for 54 of the team’s 63 yards gained on the drive, which he capped off with a 38-yard touchdown run that increased the Rockets’ lead to 13-0.
In the second quarter, Berne Union’s Dillan Cornell took center stage on the defensive side of the ball. Fairfield Christian quarterback Conner Perkins attempted a pass to Darian Hamill on a halfback wheel route down the right sideline, but he appeared to get a little too much air under the pass, and Cornell read the ball and intercepted it near midfield, then ran it back for a pick-six and a 20-0 lead with 1:19 left in the first half.
And Cornell was not finished. Fairfield Christian started its drive in Rocket territory after a long kickoff return by Hamill and hoped to get some momentum and maybe some points before halftime. Instead, Perkins’ pass attempt on an out route on the Knights' first play of the drive went wide of his intended receiver, and the pass again fell into Cornell’s arms, and he ran it all the way back, 72 yards, for his second pick-six on consecutive defensive plays.
“He’s got a knack for getting the ball and getting in the end zone,” Hurps said of Cornell, who also has six receiving touchdowns this season. “I think he had a scoop-and-score against this team last year, and he’s had multiple pick-sixes in his career, so he’s just got a nose for the ball. Kudos to him.”
Fairfield Christian made a quarterback change at halftime, with Anthony Lama getting the call, and he was able to give the Knights a little bit of juice on offense. He completed five of his 11 passes for 106 yards, including a 61-yard completion on a slant route to Lucas Brinley that set the Knights up first-and-goal at the Rockets' 10-yard line.
However, the Berne Union defense stepped up to protect its shutout, as two tackles-for-loss and a quarterback sack by Colton Moore on fourth down gave the ball back to the Rockets.
“That’s special for these guys,” Hurps said of the defense keeping a shutout. “We knew (Fairfield Christian) had some playmakers, and a few of them could go the distance at any time. And even though their record wasn’t as strong, we knew it was going to be a battle.”
Berne Union’s offense responded with a drive focused on running out the clock, until Hocking burst out of a few tackles and sped 52 yards down the sideline into the end zone for a touchdown and a 32-0 Berne Union lead.
Hocking led his team with 163 rushing yards on 15 carries and added two catches for 30 yards. Moore was a wrecking ball along the defensive line, as he notched two sacks and two more tackles-for-loss and helped the Rockets hold the Knights to a net of just four rushing yards as a team for the entire game.
Hamill finished with 44 rushing yards on 19 carries and added one catch for 17 yards, and Brinley had two catches for 76 yards and added three tackles-for-loss on defense.
Berne Union will travel to Zanesville in Week 10 to finish the regular season at Bishop Rosecrans (2-7), needing a win and some help in their region to attempt to earn a postseason berth. Fairfield Christian will take on Grove City Christian for the Knights' home finale.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Ashton O'Rourke shines in Berne Union football win over Knights